The present invention relates to outriggers for fishing boats and, in particular, an outrigger for a fishing boat that may be moved between a stowed and a deployed position from within the boat cabin.
Outriggers are oftentimes used on fishing boats for supporting additional fishing lines during trolling at extended positions away from the boat. The outriggers may be located at varying support locations on the boat such as the gunwales, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,196 to Slatter. The outriggers are normally stowed in a lowered horizontal inboard position. For trolling the outriggers are raised to an inclined position and rotated to an outboard position. The rotation and inclination are accomplished by manually swiveling and locking the outriggers in the desired position.
Outriggers mounted on the roof of the boat are also popular and many boats are furnished with in-place mounting fixtures for facilitating installation. In one approach, a rotating sleeve is mounted on the roof that is rotated by a lower handle in the cockpit or cabin to move the outrigger between the inboard and outboard positions. The outrigger boom is pivotally coupled to the sleeve at a coupling reachable only above the roof. Adjustment requires the operator to climb outwardly of the roof to unlock the coupling, raise or lower the boom as required, and thereafter relock the coupling. In addition to the inconvenience, time and dexterity required to reposition the outrigger, the task is exceedingly dangerous during rough weather conditions.
An adjustable outrigger controlled from the cabin is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,779 to Roy. The outrigger is pivotally supported on a sleeve at the boat roof and manually rotatable from the cabin. The outrigger boom is pivotally supported on the sleeve and raised and lowered by an external hydraulic cylinder operated by an electrically powered and controlled pump assembly. While simplifying the deployment of the outrigger, the additional components are subject to corrosion, particularly the cylinder piston. Further, the electrical and hydraulic lines must be routed through the cabin and roof, adding to the complexity and cost of the system.
The present invention provides a remotely controlled outrigger having positional capabilities for the outrigger within a single compact package at the existing mounting location and having both angular controls executed from a common handle. The outrigger comprises a vertical sleeve mounted on the boat roof that receives a control cartridge having the outrigger boom pivotally attached thereto. The cartridge includes an operating handle for rotating the sleeve and for operating a hydraulic cylinder that is connected to the boom to vary the boom inclination. Thus, by operating a single manual device, the operator can remotely move the outrigger between a stowed position and a trolling position. All components are contained within a single package that may be installed as original or after sale equipment with simple fasteners and without requiring modifications or installation interfaces in the boat cabin.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple to install and control outrigger positioning apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fishing boat outrigger that may be remotely positioned by a manual control within the boat cabin.
A further object of the invention is to provide a remotely controlled outrigger that is rotated and inclined between inboard and outboard positions by a single operating handle in the cabin.